Numerous different configurations of fixed-point railroad frogs having spring-urged, flexible wing rails are utilized in railroad trackwork system intersections in the United States to provide through flangeways that enable railcar wheel flanges to cross intersecting rails without encountering flange physical interference.
The flanged wheels of railcars passing through a fixed-point railroad frog having a spring rail and in the direction of least traffic flow repeatedly open the included flexible wing rail by the widths of the wheel flanges, and wing rail flexure and any compression springs included in the frog alternately and repeatedly force a return of the wing rail toward its closed position. This repeated oscillating action of the conventional spring-urged wing rail is undesirable in terms of both the un-necessary frictional wear and the metal fatigue that are experienced.
Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is to provide a railroad frog construction having an included spring-urged flexible wing rail element with means for positively retaining the wing rail in its fully-opened position and also in each intermediate open position following its first actuation by the wheel flanges of a passing train set, and until after all the flanged wheels of the train set have passed through the frog.
Other objectives and advantages of the present invention, in addition to providing a railroad frog assembly construction with a significantly prolonged operating lifespan, will become apparent from a full consideration of the detailed descriptions, drawings, and claims which follow.